Who Is Valentina Vostok On 'Legends of Tomorrow'? This DC Comics Character's Loyalties Are Unclear

Now that our favorite team of non-legendary heroes are finally heading out of the 1970s on Legends of Tomorrow, there is a chance for even more DC Comics villains (or morally grey characters) to show up. Sure, it was cool to see younger versions of the Legends like Professor Martin Stein and Captain Cold, but I'm excited to meet some new faces! Along those lines, who is Valentina Vostok on Legends of Tomorrow and how will she fit into The CW's time-travel superhero show?

In DC Comics, Valentina Vostok was a member of the Soviet Air Force who stole an experimental fighter plane from Russia in order to defect to the United States. However, it crashed, granting Valentina radioactive powers as Negative Woman (by absorbing the entity of Negative Man) and she became a member of the hero team Doom Patrol. When her powers were retaken by Negative Man — it was discovered he was alive, not dead, so he needed his abilities back and it was a whole thing — Valentina instead worked for the U.S. secret services. So, despite her history in the soviet forces, Valentina turned out to be a hero in the U.S., but the loyalties of the character on Legends of Tomorrow may not be as cut and dry.

According to the episode synopsis released by The CW, Valentina will be a Russian scientist working for Vandal Savage, and both Ray Palmer and Leonard Snart attempt to get close to her in order to figure out the villain's next move:

When Vandal Savage (guest star Casper Crump) retreats behind the Iron Curtain in the early 1980s, a string of nuclear scientists begins to mysteriously disappear. The team follows Vandal’s trail straight into the heart of the Soviet Union in an attempt to find his next target. Ray (Brandon Routh) tries to bond with a beautiful Soviet scientist, Valentina Vostock (guest star Stephanie Corneliussen), in the hopes of finding out Vandal’s next move. When Valentina rejects him, it’s Snart (Wentworth Miller) to the rescue. Stein (Victor Garber) pushes Jax (Franz Drameh) to be better, which frustrates Jax and ultimately threatens the Firestorm matrix. Rip (Arthur Darvill) asks Sara (Caity Lotz) to train Kendra (Ciara Renée).

However, character information about the Russian scientist that was reported by TVLine when Corneliussen was cast hints that Valentina's loyalties are unclear. According to TVLine, Ray and Leonard must "find out where her allegiance truly lies — before she completes her project and potentially turns the tide of the Cold War."

So, although it may seem Valentina is firmly on Team Evil — with its captain, Vandal Savage, of course — when we first meet her, perhaps this scientist can be wooed over to Team Good. (Or should I call it Team Legends?) Still, despite her scientific work, it seems unlikely we'll be seeing Valentina take on the moniker of Negative Woman on Legends of Tomorrow. However, that doesn't mean she won't play an integral role in the team's plan — that is, if she sides with the Legends.